Data must be represented in order to be interpreted, and how data are gathered and organized depends on the question.

With scaffolding and thoughtful guidance, young children can follow the steps involved in a simple data analysis process. When they have experience answering different types of questions, they begin to see that data becomes most helpful when it is visually depicted, and that these depictions will differ depending on the question at hand.

Olivia Trevino’s preschool class at Marsh Elementary School took advantage of all the winter weather to explore picture books about mittens. The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth and The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt are two delightful versions of the Scandinavian folk tale about a group of animals that try to squeeze into a boy’s lost mitten.